Graphic code is capable of carrying product information in barcodes, 2D codes, pictures and other encoded pictures. A graphic code of a product can uniquely identify the product. A graphic product code database is a database for the storage of graphic codes of products and product information.
With the development of mobile terminal technology, smart mobile devices with a camera are growing in popularity. Users can use a camera of a smart mobile device to scan graphic codes of products and submit the scanned graphic codes to graphic code lookup servers on the network side. Using the graphic product code received from a mobile terminal, the graphic code lookup server finds corresponding product information in a graphic code database, and returns the found product information to the mobile terminal, which displays the received product information to a user, who may then compare products and make a purchase based on the product information displayed on the mobile terminal.
A graphic product code database is a dynamic data set. Because different manufacturers constantly make new products that have new graphic codes, a complete and constantly updated graphic product code database is required in order to support search for graphic product codes and product identifications.
Existing technologies primarily use the following methods to update a graphic code database: upon receiving a graphic product code submitted by a user through a mobile terminal, if a graphic code lookup server on the network side fails to find any product information corresponding to the received graphic code in the graphic product code database, the server records the received graphic code, and subsequently uses manual lookup by backend management personnel to find product information corresponding to the received graphic code and add the found product information to the graphic code database.
Due to the rapid pace of product announcements and updates and resultant massive product data, the above described manual updating method of graphic product code database requires a huge amount of labor and results in low efficiency, unable to cope with the growing demands for timely updated massive product information.
Furthermore, if the graphic code lookup server code fails to find in the graphic code database product information corresponding to the graphic code, it returns a search failure notification to the user. The user may have to abandon the graphic code and turn to a different method to search for the product information. For example, the user may have to open a search application on the mobile terminal to search for the product information. This operation not only consumes more computing resources of the mobile terminal, but also makes the process of searching for product information cumbersome, resulting in poor user experience, and low flexibility of product information search.